Friends Bistro food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · North Norfolk
Friends Bistro holds a 4, meaning hygiene standards at the restaurant are good. It is a solid result, the inspector found nothing serious, though a 5 was just out of reach.
The rating: 4 - Good
This is a fresh result: Friends Bistro was inspected on 11 June 2026, so the rating reflects what the inspector found very recently.
Address: Overstrand Road, Cromer, Norfolk, NR27 0AH
How it compares in North Norfolk
In North Norfolk, 86% of rated places manage a 5, so Friends Bistro sits behind roughly 1,256 nearby businesses. 10% of the borough shares its 4.
| 5 out of 5 | 1,256 | 86% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 144 | 10% | ← Friends Bistro | |
| 3 out of 5 | 42 | 3% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 15 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 4 | <1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 0 | 0% |
A further 56 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Generally satisfactory
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Good
- How well they manage food safety Good
An inspection scores three things: how food is handled, the physical condition of the premises, and how much the inspector trusts management to keep standards up. At Friends Bistro none of the three raised a concern, the overall rating is only ever as strong as its weakest area, so a clean sweep is what produces a high score.
Food hygiene ratings nearby
The closest food businesses to Friends Bistro, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bann Thai Restaurant Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 70 yards away | 5 - Very good | 21 May 2026 |
| Gibson's Bistro Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 84 yards away | 5 - Very good | 2 June 2026 |
| Cromer Past Present Future Ltd Other catering premises | 100 yards away | 5 - Very good | 14 October 2025 |
| East Eleven Coffee Lounge Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 127 yards away | 5 - Very good | 28 July 2025 |
| Cromer Tandoori Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 160 yards away | 5 - Very good | 16 October 2024 |
| Kanton Takeaway/sandwich shop | 160 yards away | 5 - Very good | 24 April 2026 |
| Beast to Block Retailers - other | 178 yards away | 5 - Very good | 8 May 2026 |
| Brownes On Bond Street Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 211 yards away | 5 - Very good | 11 February 2025 |
Questions about Friends Bistro
What is Friends Bistro's food hygiene rating?
Friends Bistro has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by North Norfolk Council on 11 June 2026.
Is Friends Bistro safe to eat at?
The rating covers hygiene standards found at inspection, not the food itself. At 4 out of 5, the inspector found hygiene standards at this restaurant to be good, the top end of the scale.
When was Friends Bistro last inspected?
Friends Bistro was last inspected on 11 June 2026, a month ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by North Norfolk Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Friends Bistro?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "generally satisfactory", the cleanliness and condition of the building "good", and confidence in the management of food safety "good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Friends Bistro compare to other places in North Norfolk?
86% of the 1,461 rated food businesses in North Norfolk hold the top rating of 5, while Friends Bistro holds a 4. 144 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
North Norfolk Council inspects Friends Bistro and sets the rating; the Food Standards Agency publishes it. Neither the business nor this site can change a rating, a business that disagrees can appeal to its council, and can request a re-inspection once it has fixed the problems.
Tell me when this changes
The Food Standards Agency publishes only a business's rating today, not what it scored before, and not when it moves. We check every UK rating each night. Watch Friends Bistro and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
Free, for three businesses, forever. No password, we send you a link. How rating alerts work →
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Friends Bistro is one of 142 rated food businesses in Cromer. See every hygiene rating in Cromer →
North Norfolk inspects and rates 1,517 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in North Norfolk →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.northnorfolk.gov.uk
Rating from the Food Standards Agency under the Open Government Licence. Ratings reflect standards found at the time of inspection and can change. If you think a rating is wrong, the official record is held by the FSA and the local authority; corrections there flow through here. How ratings work →